Folding ironing board



Allg- 2.6, 1941- J. G. WERNLI 2,253,7 41

FOLDING IRONING BOARD Filed Jan. 9, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 26, 1941'. WERNU l 2,253,741

FOLDING IRONINGv BOARD Filed Jan. 9,l 1939 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Aug. 26, 1941 i f UNITED STATES" PATENT .OFFICE I ,v L. 2,253,741 Y f 7 FOLDING IltoNlNG BOARD John G. Wernli, South Pasadena, Calif. applicati@ January 9, 1939, serial No. 250,062.

' 2 claims. (ci. azi-1.27)

In my Patent No v1,973,832 dated September 18, 1934, Ihave shown anironing board having legs which supportthe rboard in horizontal position when in use and which `are foldable against the under side of the board, so that the board will occupy small space, when not in use. The present invention embodies a cabinet for housing the board with connections between Athe board and the cabinet whereby the board may be easily folded in the cabinet or unfolded for use while still connected tothe cabinet, or it may be readily detached from the cabinet for use in some other room or place than the one in Ywhich the cabinet may be situated. When the legs are unfolded and the board is in horizontal position, the board is supported entirely by the legs, whether it be connected to the cabinet or detached therefrom.

In the accompanying drawings-v ,Fi`g, 1 is a front view of the cabinet with the ironing board folded within it, the door of the cabinet being shown in open position, partly broken away; Y

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the cabinet and ironing board on the line 2*-2 o-f Fig. 1, showing the ironing board swung outwardly about its pivotal connection to the cabinet slide, with the legs of the board unfolded;

Fig. 3l is a similar view through the ironing board and the lower part of the cabinet, showing the ironing board in horizontal position and supported by its legs; Y

Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the cabinet and ironing board, on the line 4--4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a perspectiverview of a portion of o-ne of the side bars of the slide and the fitting thereon to which the ironing board pivots;

Fig, 6 is a perspective View showing a portion of the ironing board with part of o-ne of the pivot rods attached, and,

Fig. '7 is a similarview showing one of the pivot rods in engagement with one of theguidebars of the slide, the latter and one of the fittings thereon being shown in section. Y

Referring to the drawings, A represents a cabinet of suitable form and size for containing the folded ironing board B and its supporting structure. The cabinet body is composed of a back I, parallel sides 2, 3, a top 4 and a bottom 5, and its side pieces extend below the bottom, forming supporting legs 2a and 3a. A door a, hinged to the side 3 and extending from the top piece to the bottom piece, is provided for closing the cabinet. Internal guide-grooves 6 and 'I are formed' in the lower halves of the sides 2 and 3, re-

extending upwardly from the bottom piece 5 and adapted to receive the side-bars 8 andv 9 of. a sliding frame s. This frame consists of the vsideybars and diagonal metal braces I0 and I I, pivoted together at their central'portions, and each con# necting the lower end of one bar with theopposite bar near the upper end of the latter.V AOn the inner faces of the guide-bars, near their upper ends, are secured metal plates I2, one'of which is shown in detail in Fig. 5 secured tothe `guide-bar 9. Each plate has an opening I2? registering with a perforation I3 in the upper end of the guide-bar to which it isattached, as shown in Fig. 7, and it also: has a horizontal flangeJZb at its lower end and avertical flange I2C atit's upper end, at the rear ofthe guide-bar, these.

flanges formingstops for the ironing board, as

hereinafter described, The ironingv board and its supporting means are in allsubstantial re.'- spects the same 'as shown in my Patent No.y 1,-,- 97 3,832, but at the rear end of the board, and on its underside, I provide means for readily attaching it pivotally to theslide s so that it may fold Within the cabinet. A metal strip I4 isv secured 4to the under side ofthe board at its rear or broader en d, and extends across the board.l A circular disc I5 is centrally pivoted on-this strip and to this disc, at diametrically opposite points, are pivotally connectedlnetal vrods I6 andV I'I. The rods extend into guides I8 secured to the end portions of the metal strip. By turning the disc I5- in one direction, the rods may be projected through the openings I2a in the plates I2on nected to the guide-,bars 8 and 9 and by turning the disc I5 in the opposite direction, the rods may be Withdrawn from these perforations. disc is providedwith a suitable handle ,I5a by means of which it may be turned. The disc has locking features, not necessary to describe', for holding it in either position of adjustment.

To attach the ironing board to the slide, the board 'israised to a vertical or nearly Vertical position, as shown in Fig. 2, and its larger or rear end islowered onto the anges VI2b of the metal plates I2. The flanges I2 on the plates prevent the board from slipping backward 'on the supporting flanges while the board is being lowered onto the latter, When the board is properly positioned on the flanges, the disc I5 (Figs. 1, 4 and 7) is turned in the proper direction to project the pivot rods I6 and I1 through the openings I2a in the plates I2 and the ironing board is then pivotally connected to the slide s. To disconnect the board from the slide, it is spectively, of the cabinet body, these grooves 55 merely necessary to rotate the disc I5 in the The.

proper direction to withdraw the pivot rods I6 and I'I from the openings in the plates I2.

In Figs. 2 and 3, the supporting legs 20 and 2| of the ironing board are shown unfolded. To rock the board from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 3, the board is lifted and at the same time turned about its axis until the legs 20 and 2l are in engagement With the floor. The board will then be supported entirely by the legs and the slide will be supported by the board in the upper position shown in Fig. 3. To fold the board in the cabinet after it has been in the position for use (Fig. 3), the forward end of the board is raised and as the weight is taken off of the legs, the slide descends and nally rests upon the bottom 5 of the cabinet and supports the board as it is rocked to the position shown in Figl 1 and in that position, the legs are folded against the under side of the board and the board is held in the vertical position by spring latches 22 which are attached to the inner sides of the cabinet and frictionally engage the edges of the board.

The cabinet as well as the ironing board are light in weight and portable; but it may be desirable at times to use the ironing board in rooms or places other than that in which the cabinet is situated, and, when this is the case, all the operator has to do is to turn the disc I5 clockwise, in Fig. l, to disconnect the pivot rods from the slide, and the board can then be removed from the cabinet and set up for use by unfolding its supporting legs.

The ironing board and its folding supports are fully described in my patent hereinbefore referred to but may herein be briefly described. The ironing board has a tting 23 on its under side, near its rear end, to which a pair of rear legs 20 are pivotally connected, these legs adapted to stand vertically when unfolded, as shown in Fig. 3 and to fold against the under side of the board, as illustrated in Fig. l. The rear legs are connected by diagonally crossed braces 24 to a fitting 2'5 at the rear of the pivotal axis of the legs 20. A diagonal leg 2I is pivotally connected to the fitting 25, this leg consisting of two strips 2Ia which converge toward the forward end of the board and are suitably connected together at the latter end. A pair of links 26 of equal length are pivotally connected to the central portion of the leg 2I and the upper ends of these links are pivotally connected to the lower ends of links 21, which latter are pivoted at their upper ends to a fitting 28 attached to the under side of the ironing board. The links 26 and 27 constitute folding struts for supporting the forward end portion of the board. Braces 29 pivotally connected to the rear legs 2 extend forwardly and are connected to the pivot pins 30 of the struts. A toggle connection 3I-32 extends from the pivot pins 30 of the struts forwardly and upwardly to a suitable fitting 33 on the under side of the board. A cross-piece 32a forms a stop on the toggle and a hand-piece by which the toggle can be moved.

To fold the board and its supports in the cabinet, the board is rocked upwardly about its connection with the slide, causing the slide to move downwardly to the bottom of the cabinet, and in this position the end of the board rests on the slide. The toggle 3I--32 is then broken upwardly by pulling on the hand-piece 32a, which releases the lock on the struts 26-21 and the braces 29, and by then holding the board against the back of the cabinet and swinging the legs 20 upwardly, all of the parts will fold against the under side of the ironing board, as shown in Fig. 1. To unfold the board and its supporting members, the board can be held against movement in its upright position in the cabinet with one hand, while the diagonal leg ZI is swung away from the board a short distance, which partly unfolds the toggle members and makes the handpiece 32a accessible, and then by bearing on the hand-piece to straighten the toggle members, the parts assume the positions shown in Fig. 2, and the board is then swung to the horizontal position shown in Fig. 3, wherein it is supported by its supporting structure independently of the cabinet.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with an ironing board and a cabinet adapted to contain the board when the latter is in vertical position, said board having folding legs adapted to support it independently of the cabinet, of a vertically movable slide in the lower part of the cabinet, and means for detachably connecting the board to the slide comprising perforated ttings arranged at opposite sides of the slide near its upper end, said fittings having parts below the perforations upon which the rear end of the board may rest while the board is being placed in the cabinet, a pair of pivot rods mounted on the board near its rear end and extending transversely of the` board, and means for moving said rods endwise'in opposite directions into or out of the perforations in said fittings to connect the board to or disconnect it from the slide.

2. The combination with an ironing board and a cabinet adapted to contain the board when the latter is in vertical position, said board having folding legs adapted to support it independently of the cabinet, of a vertically movable Slide in the lower part of the cabinet, and means for detachably connecting the board to the slide comprising perforated fittings arranged at opposite sides of the slide near its upper end, said fittingshaving parts below the perforations upon which the rear end of the board may rest while the board is being placed in the cabinet and parts higher than the perforations for guiding the board, a pair of pivot rods mounted on the board near its rear end and extending transversely of the board, and means for moving said rods endwise in opposite directions into or out of the perforations in said fittings to connect the board to or disconnect it from the slide. 

